Memory
Memory '''is a wicked awesome teen detective with a computer-like mind. Background Marilyn Baker showed her the sort of brilliance that would get her a job as a lab assistant at any major science company or university. Instead, the college graduate wanted to apply her considerable intellect to making the world a better place. So, she joined the cops. Of course, this was the 40s so she got stuck dealing with escorting female criminals and writing tickets. Frustrated, Marilyn invented a special perfume that affected the memory centers of others and went to wage war as... MISS MEMORY! That lasted into the 50s. Eventually, Marilyn had a daughter, Roslyn, and decided to retire to focus on raising her. Daughter proved just as brilliant as mother. Roslyn got her PhD and had a distinguished career as a professor, researcher, writer, and lecturer. Eventually, she decided to have a child as well. Unfortunately, the third time wasn't the charm. Monroe wasn't born brilliant. In fact, she was born mentally retarded. Unable to handle being the mother to someone of such limited capacity, Monroe was given up for adoption (much to her grandmother's dismay, it must be said). Years later, Roslyn died of cancer. Marilyn immediately tracked down her granddaughter who was living in a mental health facility, still unadopted. She brought the now teenage (in body, not in mind) Monroe home, she proceeded with a plan she had been working on for many years. One of Marilyn's oddest cases left her with an alien brain kept viable but inert in a jar. Marilyn's experiments had discovered that the potential for neural activity in the brain was much higher than that in a human brain. Once Monroe was home, her grandmother began a dangerous experiment... using tissue from the alien brain to repair Marilyn's. It took days to finish the procedure and weeks to recover but it worked. In fact, it worked better than Marilyn could have anticipated. Monroe proved to be not only intelligent but brilliant. Her mind capable of feats far beyond the human norm. What followed was a crash course to catch Monroe up to her peer group. It didn't take long before the very smart Monroe figured out that her grandmother was Miss Memory... and truth be told, it didn't take much for her to convince grandma that it was time for a new Memory to hit the streets. Under Marilyn's tutelage, Monroe trained to become an investigator and crime fighter. Now, she's ready to hit the streets as... Memory! The Miss part, after all, is soooo 1940s. Personality Monroe's personality is a study in contrasts. When she's in the middle of an investigation she's all business and possessed of a sly sense of humor. She does her best to emulate her favorite old detective movies and be quiet, wry, and utterly focused on the job. Outside the job, though, she is a teenager who never had a chance to develop normally. As a detective, Monroe focuses on the job. She often says very little, saying just enough to convey information. This isn't a matter of her needing to concentrate. She has brainpower to spare. Rather, Monroe wants to be taken seriously and seem to be a tough as nails detective. Monroe wants others to be impressed by her both her skills and her persona. When she's not on the job, though? The truth is, Monroe didn't get to develop as normal kids do. She didn't get to run on the playground or attend first grade. She wasn't in the school play. She didn't have play dates. Monroe is fully aware of what she was before her grandmother's experiment and she worries she might wake up that way once more. As a result, Monroe tries to live life to the fullest. Combine a desire to experience everything with an uncertain social development and there are times when Monroe acts more like a carictature than a person, emulating movies and books instead of feeling her way along. Powers '''Perfect Memory: Monroe has a computer-like memory. She can instantly and perfectly recall and visualize anything she experiences. Lightning Processing: Speed of thought has a unique meaning for Memory. She processes information at incredible speeds. Multi-Functioning: '''Like a computer, Memory is capable of a unique form of multi-tasking. She can run separate processes in her mind, each capable of full, independent thought. For example, Memory can read a memory of a novel in one process, run through memories of crime scene evidence in another process, and engage in hand to hand combat with a third. She can run up to five processes at once. '''Neurological Control: Monroe can control her mind and, therefore, many of her body functions. She can, for example, slow down her heart beat, flood her body with endorphins and adrenaline, or stop her body from shivering in the cold. Human Wikipedia: Thanks to her powers, Memory has a vast storage of information inside her brain. Much of her spare time is spent memorizing books, internet data, watching documentaries, and absorbing other types of information. Having the data isn't quite the same as having the skill, however. Memory could get through a conversation in a foreign language, for example, by swiftly translating each word using the foreign language dictionaries she's memorized. That doesn't mean she nails the accent or understands the cultural nuances of the language. Data Analysis: Monroe can recall things perfectly and process information at lightning speeds. This allows her to work through connections and possibilities in a few seconds instead of a few hours. She can make judgements about the evidence presented to her in a way that almost seems to be intuitive: quickly and without any seeming effort. Psionic Shield: Because Memory usually has five full, mental processes going at a time, listening to her thoughts is like listening to a room full of discordent noise. Only well trained and powerful telepaths will be able to read her mind. Skills Investigation: Memory's powers make her a talented investigator and she adores being a detective. Because of that, she has devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to learning all she can about criminal investigation. That includes investigative techniques, forensic science, and police procedure. Combat: Realizing that following in her grandmother's footsteps might be dangerous, Monroe began studying martial arts. She hasn't focused on one particular style but, instead, learned a number of moves designed to quickly defend, deflect, disarm, and disable opponents. It isn't great for prolonged fights but gets her out of most pickles. Athletics: Monroe keeps in shape with cardio, weight, and flexibility training. She's quite capable of a five mile rooftop run. Social: '''Monroe has studied body language, micro-expressions, liar's tells and the like. She's good at spotting lies and, conversely, at making herself believable. '''Driving: While the detective thing's a lot of fun, Monroe's thrill time comes from riding her motorcycle. She loves it and she's good enough that she could do decently as a stunt driver. Boons Grandma: Marilyn Baker was the original Miss Memory. She's a jill-of-all-trades genius and has made a comfortable living from her various patents. Currently, she has enough money put away to support herself and Monroe. Plus, she's always there to help solve problems, provide advice, and puzzle through problems. Memory Perfume: '''Developed by her grandmother, the memory perfume is Memory's best weapon in the war on crime (beyond her super charged brain). The perfume tickles and enhances the memory centers of the brain. Depending on the dosage the perfume can heighten someone's recall, distract them as memories start intruding on present perceptions, or even trap them for short periods of time in a particularly vivid memory. Part of the perfume's formula includes a mild sedative so it is rare for people to turn violent as recall is induced, though individuals with PTSD might overcome this. Monroe deploys the perfume using a wrist mounted spray device. It is keyed to her DNA so both herself and her grandmother are immune to the perfume's effects. '''Motorcycle: Memory has a Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R. It is considered by many to be the fastest motorcycle in the world and is, therefore, awesome. Think Tank: In the basement of Memory's brownstone lies the Think Tank, a headquarters furnished with all sorts of criminal science analysis equipment, a workshop for working on her motorcycle (complete with secret exit through a tunnel that leads to a location several blocks away), and a fully stocked fridge for when Memory gets the munchies. Flaws Retardation: Monroe, unmodified by alien brain matter, has the intellectual ability of a three year old. Should her powers get taken away or surpressed she'll lose any ability to interact with the world in a meaningful way. Alien Brain: Who knows what the long term effects of her grandmother's surgery might have. Human and alien brain tissue weren't meant to be merged together. Tumors? Possible. Strange behavioral problems? Possible. Memory showing up to an alien detection device? Possible. All problems. Grandma's Enemies: For the most part, the original Miss Memory busted common crooks. There are, however, a few masterminds and other unusual super criminals out there who are still alive and wouldn't mind revenge for Miss Memory's interference in their schemes. Uncreative: Monroe is frankly, uncreative. While her powers have made her the equivalent of a super-genius intellectually the alien brain tissue can't spark her undeveloped creative side. This means more than an inability to make music or art. Monroe lacks the spark needed for invention, for example. While she might fully understand the laws of physics she can't come up with new ways to make these laws work for her. That makes her different from, say, Reed Richards, who has both the intellect and creative drive to create new things. Emotional Problems: Monroe is aware of the years she spent trapped inside a mind that couldn't function properly and she fears falling back into that trap. That, combined with years of proper socialization and development, have left her with some emotion problems. She tends to be a little too thrill-seeking... in love with life and squeezing the most out of it while she still can to the point of folly and injury. In addition, she doesn't quite get relationships. She might run too hot, too cold, latch on too hard or put too much distance between herself and someone else. Logs Including Memory * 2010-08-17: Up On the Rooftop, Drip, Drip, Drip: Memory meets Power Girl while investigating a murder. * 2010-08-17: New Resources: Memory is contacted by Oracle * 2010-08-17: Everyone Hates Nazis: Memory gets some help with punching some Neo-Nazis * 2010-08-20: World's Greatest Detectives: Memory meets one of her heroes at a very fortunate time * Dogfights and Flashbangs - Memory tracks down and breaks up a dog fighting ring with a metahuman - or meta-pooch - twist, but gets in way over her head. Karolina Dean and Whisper happen by and help out. * 2010-08-23: Blood Monsters? Ick!: Memory bring Karolina Dean and Nomad to interrogate a member of the Aztecs, only for things to become a bloody mess. Category:Original Character